Rectangular trays with open tops are made to hold several rows of coffee pods. The trays may be slid in and out of a protective housing through an opening in the front of the housing into and out of which the tray is slid. The top of the housing is covered with a solid structure to support a coffee making machine in which the coffee pods are used. The trays have dividers which separate rows of coffee pods that sit on the bottom of the tray so the contents of the coffee pod are on the top, readily viewable by a user.
Coffee pods suitable for use in Keurig coffee making machines are currently of several general types as shown in FIGS. 8-10, with these and other pods shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. D452,433, D474,110, D502,362, D647,399, D647,398 and D637,484. The coffee pods comprise a thin plastic cup 1 having a continuous sidewall 2 and an outwardly extending flange 3 at the opening of the cup. The cup 1 can have various shapes but the shapes are typically tapered, being smaller at the bottom and larger at the top. Sometimes the walls of the cups 1 are stepped to form strengthening ribs 4 encircling the cup, especially near the flange 3. Sometimes longitudinal stiffening ribs 5 are used. Many coffee pods are symmetric about a longitudinal axis L. Some coffee pods have an outwardly extending projection 6 formed by the side of the container and shaped to form a pouring spout, with the flange 3 extending around the entire periphery of the top, including the spout. These coffee pots are symmetric about a plane through the middle of the spout and the longitudinal axis L. A foil sheet 7 is fastened to the flange 3, with a tab of foil or the foil itself usually extending outward from the flange a distance sufficient so that a user may grab the tab. In use, coffee is placed in the cups 1 and sealed by the foil to form a coffee pod. The contents are printed on the foil 7 covering the top of the cups 1. The pods are placed in holders having various shapes, including trays having rows separated by dividers, with the pods placed in the rows according to the printed indicia on the foil lids 7, which indicia usually identifies the type of coffee. A user selects a preferred type of coffee based on the printed indicia on the lid 7, removes the pod, pulls the tab to remove the foil and uses the coffee in the pod with a coffee brewing machine to make coffee.
As the coffee pods are removed for use the movement of the tray in and out of the housings sometimes causes the tray to be pulled out of the housing which can dump the coffee pods out of the tray. Sometimes, the tray does not smoothly slide out of the housing and that causes excess force or jiggling of the tray and housing to the frustration of users. Typical coffee pod trays have a larger height than needed, requiring housings that are higher than needed and openings that are larger than needed. There is thus a need for a lower, compact coffee pod tray and housing where the tray slides easily but resists being accidentally pulled entirely out of its housing.